The Future of Groundwater in Kansas

3 years ago | Apr 20, 2015 By: Brock Ternes, CEP Intern

When
I began interning for the Climate + Energy Project at the start of the year, I
took the position knowing that it would improve my understanding of groundbreaking
conservation practices that many Kansas farmers and ranchers have adopted with
great success. These routines will become increasingly necessary as droughts
threaten the High Plains. As many of you know, the availability of groundwater
has been a growing problem in Kansas, where the future of the High Plains
aquifer is in jeopardy. Research indicates that the aquifer is now 30 percent
depleted, and if current rates of extraction continue it will be 69 percent
depleted in 50 years (Steward et al. 2013). In 2013, Kansas Governor Sam
Brownback called on water specialists to develop a plan to secure the state’s
water supply for the next 50 years, stating that "[w]ithout further planning
and action we will no longer be able to meet our current needs” (Kansas Water
Authority 2014:6).

Groundwater resources are important for most Kansas
farmers, ranchers, industries, and households, as the High Plains aquifer
supplies 70 percent of all water used in the state (Buchanan et al. 2009). In
the western half of the state, where precipitation is usually scarce, groundwater
remains "the only reliable source of large volumes of water” (Buchanan and
Buddemeier 1993:2). This environmental reality reveals the crucial connection
between groundwater dependence and vulnerability to drought. Droughts reduce
the amount of surface water that can be recharged into aquifers, but more
importantly, communities dependent on aquifers extract more groundwater during
dry years to offset the low levels of precipitation (Kenny and Juracek 2013). In
fact, roughly half the state’s population relies on groundwater for domestic
use, either provided through municipal water supplies or private wells
(Buchanan and Buddemeier 1993).

Overall, water availability in the High Plains
is projected to become more limited. In addition to the substantial losses
predicted to strike the High Plains aquifer, climate modelers project warmer
temperatures and less precipitation in Kansas (Brunsell et al. 2010). These
looming droughts are particularly problematic because they are expected to be warmer than previous droughts (Wilhite 2014). This forecast implies that the state
will require even more groundwater in the future to meet its agricultural,
industrial, and residential needs. Increasing groundwater extractions will not
be an option for communities overlying the most depleted portions of the High
Plains aquifer, which leaves Kansas "extremely vulnerable to the occurrence of
drought” (Logan et al. 2010:255).

These challenges make water
conservation efforts all the more valuable, and they underscore the importance
of the work done by recent Water + Energy Progress Award Winners. Several WEP
Award Winners from 2013 and 2014 have been committed to agricultural operations
that are hydraulically "best practice.”

These esteemed farmers and ranchers
adopt approaches that include dryland and no-till farming,

If climate
projections are accurate, the only way to feasibly farm in western Kansas will
be to adopt water conservation practices—now and in the future. Following the
examples set by the innovative WEP Award Winners will be completely necessary.